Boston Red Sox: Is Joe Kelly a starter next year?

In the popular TV show Star Trek: The Next Generation, a marked shift in episode quality from passable to extraordinary was noted at almost the exact same time as Captain William T. Riker grew a beard. The change was so dramatic, both to his chin and to the enjoyment of the show, that the two became synonymous and the emergence of Riker’s beard was seen as somewhat akin to the opposite of jumping the shark.

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So too did Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Joe Kelly acquire his own magic facial hair and along with it found an almost miraculous turn around in fortunes.

In 2014 the Red Sox traded competent starting pitcher John Lackey to the St Louis Cardinals in return…